Second Chances
by dbtcjs
Summary: What will Edward do when life offers him a Second Chance with his Bella? Full Summary inside AH/ E x B. Rated M for language and strong lemons.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, here is the first chapter of Second Chances. A lot of you have been asking for it for several weeks, and here it is. We have worked really hard on this first chapter, and have spent hours on the phone and on Yahoo IM going over every detail. We would like to thank a fellow FanFictioner and real life friend of ours for being our beta.**

**Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight…**

**________________________________________________________________________________________________________**

Our relationship started like something out of a fantasy. We were madly in love and wanted to spend eternity together. I closed my eyes for a moment and remembered that at one time, there had been an unexplainable chemistry between us. Mine and Bella's electricity could light up a dark room.

_**Flashback**_

Both fresh out of college, we met at the editing company where I went to work. She was a young aspiring author, and I would become her editor. I found her to be fascinating, smart and incredibly sexy. After working together on a daily basis for over a month, I finally decided to ask her to dinner one night.

At first, I hadn't really planned on it being a date, but I knew I wanted to spend more time with her. Going home to an empty apartment and jerking off to my visions of her beautiful body, luscious lips, and gorgeous face was no longer enough. We hit it off so well and truly enjoyed being together. We continued dating and took our time getting to know one another. Each date ended in a fabulous make out session; since neither one of us could keep our hands off each other.

Eventually, one thing lead to another and the fireworks flew. I swear to God her body was made for mine. I never knew sex could be so fantastic. Somehow she anticipated my every need and desire. Since most women usually threw themselves at me, sex was never a challenge. Bella on the other hand made me work for it. I had to wait for the sex until I was on the verge of explosion, but she was worth every minute of the wait. If I'm being honest, I loved the chase. She could get me hard just walking into the room, but sex wasn't the only great thing. She was the most amazing woman in and out of the bed. Bella and I complimented each other; bringing out nothing but the best.

We dated for about six months and decided to make it forever. We had just purchased our house and invited our family and close friends over for what they thought was a black tie house warming party coupled with a formal dinner.

We sent out detailed invitations instructing everyone to dress appropriately and to arrive promptly at 8:00 pm for the dinner and surprise entertainment. Talk of the "surprise" overtook the elaborate candle lit dinner; creating an electric buzz in the atmosphere. By the time our guests had finished with dinner, they were completely consumed with anticipation.

Finally, Bella and I stood at the head of the long dining room table and made the announcement to the frenzied group. They waited impatiently with baited breath as we explained that we had actually invited them over to witness us declare our undying love and devotion to each other. And, that we would be honored if they would gather together in the backyard to attend our intimate candle lit wedding.

The crowd gasped in chorus and all but ran to take their seats surrounding the pool. Overjoyed with excitement, they never even noticed that Bella and I had disappeared to go change into our wedding attire.

Alice, Bella's best friend, and her husband Jasper were in on the plan. As soon as dinner had begun; they went to work in the backyard creating the most romantic wedding backdrop you have ever seen.

Continuing with the candle light theme, they littered the pool, the waterfall, the deck, and every other possible space in between with what seemed like a million lit candles of varying sizes. This magnificent sight brought tears to my eyes as I waited for my Bella to join me before the altar.

With only the light of the moon and the flickering candles, we said our vows and were graciously welcomed as husband and wife by the delighted crowd.

Following the ceremony, Bella and I mingled separately never removing our eyes from each other; both imagining our first night together as a married couple. Alice is one sharp cookie and noticed our eagerness to be alone. Our ever present chemistry nearly consumed us both that night; making it impossible to focus on anything but each other, even if it was from across the room. As soon as it was appropriate, Alice started ushering people out the front door saying, "You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here."

Eventually, people caught on and started leaving at their own accord.

As we said our 'goodbyes' to the last of our guests, I shut the door trapping Bella against it firmly; smothering her with long deep kisses letting her know how much I loved her. My hips were drawn to her and I brought our bodies together as one. My arms instinctively wrapped themselves securely around her waist, "God, I have been waiting all night to do this to you. You don't know how hard it has been to have to share you tonight." I closed my eyes and tilted my forehead to hers.

"I know, God I know. All I can think about is having you in me," She breathed out between kisses, letting her sweet breath hit my face.

Wanting more, I scooped her up and carried her bridal style into our bedroom. Her breath hitched at the sudden movement, and she clung tightly never breaking our kiss. Bella's hands curled around my neck and grabbed hold of my hair as we made our way back to our room.

Having to break our kiss, I gently placed her on her feet at the foot of our bed and slowly slid her silky form fitted gown down along the curves of her breathtaking body. "I will never get used to your beauty. You amaze me," I said as her hands feverishly removed me from the confines of my shirt. I smiled at her urgency. Her clothes, along with my shirt, eventually floated to the floor and pooled at our feet.

Seeing her stand there wearing nothing but the ring I had given her, made my heart melt. Kissing her ever so softly, I covered her entire body in delicate loving touches. The sounds of our breathing and lustful murmurs filled the otherwise quiet room.

I released her from my hold and dropped to my knees; "Sit down Baby," I instructed as I gently guided her back onto the bed. Wanting to please my beautiful bride on our wedding night, I gently spread her striking legs; exposing her glistening essence, so I could feast on her delicious juices and take in her wonderful scent.

I palmed her lovely foot and softly rested it on top of my shoulder to make my work easier. We locked eyes, and I began placing delicate feather light kisses; starting from her tiny ankle and working my way up. I groaned at the satisfying taste of her sweet skin, and I added to her sensation by using my teeth to graze and bite my way up her inner thigh.

"Mmm Bella, I bet you taste so good." I knew exactly how she tasted; I just wanted her to know where I was headed. I wanted her to wallow in anticipation for me.

Reaching her heated core, I traced my way along her outer folds; teasing her with my lips and tongue, causing her to writhe and groan in delight. "Edward, please, I want you to taste me." She was barely audible, and I smiled against her hairless lips. I loved it when she begged me like that. I could tell she wanted me and was ready to take me in her extremely wet pussy. Not wanting to give into her yearning just yet, I simply danced my tongue around her clit applying varying degrees of pressure.

Her head was thrashing from side to side, and she was begging me to find a rhythm.

"P-l-e-a-s-e," She said with each letter drawn out; yeaning for more. "Edward, eat me now. Make me come, Baby," Even though she said it in a breathless whisper, I could tell this was not a request, it was a demand.

_Holy shit! God I love this woman,_ Bella had never said that before. Her words made me harden further, and I groaned against her sensitive flesh. I ran my tongue slowly from her entrance to her clit, "Mmm, I was right. You taste delicious." I glanced up in time to catch a smile stretching across her face because of my compliment.

"Edward," she pleaded.

"You are going to have to wait, sweetheart. I am not finished with you yet."

I could tell that if I continued to tease her clit much longer she would lose it, and tonight I wanted us to come together. I continued up her body, stopping momentarily to plunge my tongue into her belly button; swirling it around a time or two. The sensation caused her to gasp for air and arch her back; lifting her torso up off the bed.

Using the tip of my nose on her soft skin, I traveled up toward her stunning breasts blowing cool bursts of air; ultimately causing goose bumps to form on her skin. My hands gracefully moved from her hips on up to the sides of her breasts, before taking her arms up over her head and pinning her hands to the bed.

Ravaging one of her hardened nipples with my mouth, I took one of my hands and tweaked the other between my fingers. "Ahhhh Edward. I love the way you touch me." Her voice was ragged and desperate, and I smiled; loving the way her body responded to me.

I felt the sudden urge to tell her how I loved her, "I love your body; your curves, your smell, the way you taste, and the way you sound when I am pleasuring you. I need to feel every part of your outside, before I feel the inside."

Bella moaned and pleaded breathlessly for me to get to the point; craving her release. Everything I said was the truth, but I wasn't sure how much longer I could go without being inside of her. I furthered my journey, licking my way along her collar bone and on up her eloquent neck.

Following her jaw line, I nibbled and kissed until I landed at her ear lobe. Taking it into my mouth, I grazed it with my teeth and bit down slightly. The pain mixed with the pleasure sent a shivered moan sailing through her luscious lips. Her sounds shot straight to my cock. I was more than ready to submerge myself in her.

Deliberately wanting to tease her further, I slid my hand back down her lovely body and slid a finger into her wet pussy. My unexpected action, combined with the sudden attack of my mouth on hers left her teetering on the edge. "Yes Edward! I want to come for you. Please let me."

_That's right baby, it's for me, always for me._ I broke our passionate kiss; desperately wanting her and leaned my forehead to hers. "Are you ready Baby?" I asked my perfect angel; while looking deeply into her adoring eyes. The strained sound of my voice didn't surprise me. It was taking everything I had to take keep from ravaging her.

She nodded begging me for more with her lust filled eyes. Her hands instantly moved to remove my pants; pushing them down my legs with her feet while grinding her hips into my rock hard erection.

Ready to feel her warmth around my cock, I whispered in a voice full of seduction, "Do you want me to _fuck _you hard or soft tonight, my love?" Her sexy eyes said one thing and her innocent smile said another. God she was beautiful, laying there wanting nothing but for me to fulfill her every need.

"I don't care; I just need you inside me. And I need you now!" _My feelings exactly. _My need to bury myself in her became too much for me to handle, so I set myself into motion. I lightly ran circles around her clit with the tip of my cock and added a little more pressure with each pass. She groaned and begged as I followed the wet trail down to her awaiting entrance. She grabbed my ass with her heels and vigorously pulled me toward her, as I forcefully penetrated her. She clenched her walls around me, and it sent chills all the way down to my toes. I had to close my eyes tightly to keep from coming right then.

"God, I love the way you feel inside me. I want you to fuck me, and don't stop until we can come together," Her voice was demanding and sultry. _Fuck,_ I loved it when she talked like that.

I knew I would have to move slowly or her firm grip on my erection would force me to come sooner than I planned. "God Sweetheart you are so tight." I whispered as I kissed and nipped along her neck. When she finally adjusted to my size, I steadily thrust using her "G" spot as my target. I felt my impending orgasm start to creep up on me, so I used my thumb to focus on her little bundle of nerves between us. Bella responded with an insistent moan. She was on the verge, just like I was, and I bent down taking one of her lively nipples into my mouth. I bit down; while swirling my tongue around the tip.

"God, yes! Ahhh…harder baby. I want you to fuck me harder, Edward," she said, with a strained and breathless whisper. I did as I was told; slamming into her with force. Whenever the position allowed, I insisted on watching her lose control. To watch her lovely face as she hit her peak was a reward in itself.

There was something about her face when she came, and the fact that I had been the one to cause the gorgeous spasm, that nearly turned me inside out. My need for release was building, and my thrusts got harder; as I desperately tried to get her to go first.

"Oh God, Baby!" I groaned, as I felt her start to clench, "That's it Bella. Come hard for me Baby." Seeing her writhe beneath me and feeling her walls tighten around me harder than ever, launched my own climax.

We called each other's names in unison as we both enjoyed the moment. We lay there together exhausted, sweaty, and breathless, contemplating the absence we knew we would feel once we were no longer connected. Her fingers combed through my dampened hair as I kissed the salty moisture on her forehead and then licked her bottom lip; igniting an affectionate kiss.

As she pulled away, her eyes closed and a familiar smile filled her face. I rolled over, grazing her

shoulder with my lips, "I love you, Mrs. Cullen." I loved the sound of her new name rolling off my tongue. Swan would still be her Pen Name, but legally, she was a Cullen.

She looked up at me; smiling through her adorable sleepy eyes, "You are the love of my life. You are everything I never knew I always wanted, and now I have you forever."

Her endearing words took my breath away. I knew that her skills as a writer had allowed her to come up with something greater than anything I could have ever come up with on my own. "Ditto," Was the only thing I could say. We laid there kissing softly for several minutes before sleep finally over took us both.

_**End Flashback**_

It had been a little over four years since that day and now here I was, sitting at a local coffee shop; waiting on her as usual. Saying this was going to be a great day would have been a lie. In the grand scheme of things, the last year of our marriage had not played out the way I intended. If someone had told me that within five years, we would be going down this road, I would never have believed them.

In the beginning, Bella and I were so in love; happier than either one of us had ever been before. We could not wait to get married and live our happily ever after. That beautiful thought was apparently not in the cards for us unfortunately. I can't exactly pin point when things started going bad, and damn it to hell, if it did not take me totally by surprise. It was literally so gradual, that neither of us noticed that we were falling out of love, until it was too late.

Today was the day I would be free from her, from us, and free from the confines of the unrecognizable thing that our marriage had become. I knew that a sense of relief was about to wash over me, and it gave me unwelcomed butterflies. To say I was elated was a bit of an understatement. An unimaginable and painful amount of pressure would be lifted from my shoulders today. I would be free to move on with my life, and she would be free to move on with hers. _God help the bastard who gets her next. _The thought of her being with someone else didn't even seem to bother me; like it once did. I was officially over it; over her.

Bella and I had become vindictive and spiteful toward each other; saying anything we could to cut the other one as deeply as possible. We were each other's own personal punching bag, and neither of us seemed to feel the slightest bit of remorse for intentionally saying hateful things.

At this point in her career, Bella was a bestselling author. At first I felt nothing but pride for her; for both of us really. Now, all I felt was contempt for her _and _her fucking career. She didn't care about anything but her writing. She lost herself in it completely, leaving me alone without the Bella I once loved and adored.

As the path of an author goes, she naturally started to go on more and more book tours; which meant that she spent less and less time at home. I began to resent the fact that I was her editor. In my eyes, I was the one enabling her absence; helping to tear us further apart.

As the old saying goes….absence makes the heart grow fonder, yeah, not so much in our case. The more she was gone, the less she even seemed to notice me as her husband. We would send short texts here and there, and we would have short phone conversations while she was on the road; but nothing meaningful. The conversations consisted of nothing but work related issues. Eventually, we even stopped saying "I love you" when we would end our phone calls.

At this point, we had totally given up even attempting to make love. Neither of us seemed one bit interested in each other; much less the act. We hadn't done 'it' in over a year. Sex is an unappealing concept when you don't even like your significant other.

As I strolled down the preverbal memory lane from hell, I couldn't help but let the memory of our last heated argument seep into my thoughts. It was one of our nastier fights; causing me to believe that we should just sever all ties.

_**Flashback**_

While out on her latest cross country book tour, we argued over the phone and agreed that a divorce was the only thing that would help us both regain some semblance of happiness. As the discussion escalated, we both admitted that we were no longer in love. With the heated conversation becoming more and more vicious, we ended up hanging up on each other; leaving no hope for reconciliation.

We decided that life was just too short to be this miserable. I never thought it would come to this, and it saddened me significantly to know that I had somehow failed her.

The night I knew she would be returning from her tour, I waited in the kitchen for her to get home; so I could tell her I was done with all the bullshit. I was really just tired of trying and getting nowhere with her. She was not going to change, and I knew it.

She walked in and leaned up against the counter in front of me with her arms folded condescendingly across her chest. I could tell by her body language that her stance was a defense mechanism and knew that this was not going to go well. _Can't say I'm surprised. Things haven't gone well in at least a year._

"So, do you have anything to say?" She asked with a hint of venom in her voice. She was attempting cool, but I knew better.

Did _I _have anything to say? Was she implying that this was my fault? Did she want _me _to

apologize for something? Is she _fucking _kidding me?

I was instantly infuriated, but tried to control it. J_ust say what you have to say and get the hell out of here, _I told myself.

"Yes, actually I do," I took a deep breath. "I got my own apartment while you were gone, and I have already moved out." The lack of surprise on her face didn't shock me. As I was saying the words, I reached in my pocket to grab my keys. I flipped through and found the one for the house. Opening the jaws of the circular metal key ring, I quickly removed the house key and tossed it across the counter where she stood.

The satisfied smile that spread across her face only fueled my fury.

"You know? That was good thinking on your part," she laughed sadistically through her words. "Because, you have lost your goddamn mind if you think I am moving out of the house that was purchased with my money." She gestured to herself.

I shook my head begrudgingly. We were back to her throwing _her _money up in my face? We both made fantastic livings, but she made about fifty thousand more a year than I did. This fact was thrown up in my face on a regular basis now. Over the past year, the words "our money" no longer applied. It was either my money or her money. She had developed somewhat of a superiority complex, and that was just one more reason I resented her.

I felt my blood begin to boil. "You know what Bella? Without me editing your crap, "your"

books would never make the best seller list; much less sell at all." I took a deep breath and aimed right for the jugular, "You couldn't make two sentences flow together if you threw them into a raging river. We made our money together. So, this whole _your _money _my _money bullshit, is a ridiculous argument." I didn't need to take another breath. The heartless words flowed like poetry from my mouth, "But, I guess I shouldn't hold that against you. After all, it is the only leg you have to stand on when trying to find something to use against me."

Neither of us was yelling yet, but that didn't mean that what we were saying didn't leave its mark.

Her voice was the first one to increase in volume, and I considered this a point for team Cullen.

Score Board:

Cullen: 1 Swan: zip

I watched as her fingers dug into the skin of her arms that were still folded across her chest, "It's the argument I use, because I know you can't stand it!" She didn't even take a breath before continuing. "I hate you for pressuring me to take some time off; to stop writing when you know it's the one thing I love."

"I never wanted you to quit writing! All I wanted was some sort of balance between our work and our personal relationship! You clearly can't seem to manage both anymore. What the fuck happened to you?" I shook my head, when I realized that I was now yelling at her too. I didn't know what pissed me off more, the situation, or the fact that she knew precisely how to push every last one of my buttons.

"Happened to me?" She gestured to herself with a look of shock on her face. "What the fuck happened to you? I'm not the one who changed. You are! You became this needy overbearing asshole!" Her arms were flailing about, and she was pointing sternly at me every time she used the word 'you' when referring to me.

"If I have changed, it's only because _you _changed _me _by becoming a cold hearted bitch! You shut me out completely; ignoring me and focusing solely on your writing. You have become the most selfish and spiteful person I have ever met!" I was now yelling at the top of my lungs, and I could tell my face was red because of the heat radiating from it.

Score Board:

Cullen: 2 Swan: 1

_DAMN! She is such a bitch!_

She gasped because of my words, "Fuck you! You give me way too much credit. People change because they want to; not because they are forced! And, to be honest, I don't even care anymore. You don't affect me the way used to. I have grown absolutely bored with you Edward."

_Ouch! That one stung. _If she felt any remorse for that last sentence, she sure as hell didn't show it. I felt my teeth clench together, as I remembered how she used to melt when I gave her certain looks, and the way her skin would respond to the slightest of my touches. _Wow, things have certainly changed for us._

We sat there for a moment glaring at each other, letting the sounds of our heavy breathing fill the room.

This was the same broken record; the fight that went nowhere. Winning the argument was the only thing we cared about, and it didn't matter what we did or said to gain the upper hand. Bella and I blamed each other for every little thing that had gone wrong in our relationship and did our best to point the finger at each other any chance we got. We were too damn proud to admit that we had both played equal parts in our demise.

I decided to go ahead and end this round of arguing before it got any worse. I broke the tense silence, "Look, the only reason I am even here tonight is to tell you that I got my own apartment, and I have moved out. As far as I'm concerned, we are done!" I turned to walk away and delivered my final jab, "You'll be hearing from my attorney."

Bella being Bella, had to have the last word. "No! I think you'll be hearing from mine!"

As I closed the large cedar door behind me, something heavy hit the wood from inside the house. It was clear that whatever she threw, didn't survive the impact. I heard the sound of glass shattering as it hit the floor. I looked back at the door and stared at it for a moment; thinking about how disappointed I was to be in this situation. I thought we were better than this, but apparently not.

I closed my eyes when I felt a knot form in my throat. Part of me wanted to go to her and apologize for everything I said. Well, almost everything. The part about her being a horrible writer wasn't true, and I really did feel bad for that _sorry ass_ comment. I was just so mad and once again hit below the belt.

I couldn't go back in there now and apologize. _I'm sorry._ I said silently. The 'I'm sorry' wasn't just for her and tonight. It was for everything. I got in my car and headed back to my empty apartment to wallow in my misery.

I didn't bother turning on any lights once I was home. I went straight to the freezer and grabbed the fresh bottle of vodka. I sat down on my new leather sofa and took a swig straight from the bottle. Sitting there; drowning my sorrows, I continued to think about her and all I was sorry for….._I'm sorry for everything, for not being enough, for whatever I did that made you bored with me. I'm sorry for telling you that you couldn't make two sentences flow together. You're a beautiful writer. You know you are. I'm sorry for not telling you that I loved you more; for not kissing you more, for not hugging you more. _

My brain was fuzzy. I pressed my palms to my eyes trying to push it all away. I knew it wasn't all my fault, but I would take the blame if it would fix things.

In my blurred state, I grabbed my phone and let my thumb hover over her speed dial button. Reluctant to make the call, I changed my mind and decided I couldn't do it. It was too late. Suddenly, it was hard to breathe. She was gone. We were gone.

That night I drank myself into a drunken stupor, trying to overcome my impending loss. I was mourning us, and the end to what we once were.

_**End Flashback**_

Coming back to reality, I felt a deep lingering sorrow. The memory of that day still pained me. We hadn't always been this way. Was I sure this was what I wanted? _Think about what you are about to do Edward. _I was getting ready to divorce the woman who at one time had loved me with such fire and passion, that no one else could ever be her equal.

_Have we tried everything? Have we said everything we needed to say? Is divorce the only way out? _Yes, was the answer to all of those questions. There was no way to fix it. Even if it wasn't what I wanted, I knew it was what she wanted.

The vicious things we said to each other over the past year and our equally shared resentment made this a done deal. We had been verbally damaged by one another. We swam so far away from the shore without looking back, that we were drowning by the time either of us realized how deep the water actually was.

I had thought through all of this at least a thousand times. I searched for the solution, but came up empty handed each time. I deeply wished there was actually such a thing as a 'do over.' A chance to go back and change this outcome would have been welcomed with open arms.

I had moved out two months ago, agreeing to leave her with all that was once ours. Truth be told, I didn't care. I just didn't want to fight anymore. Since separating, I had come to the sad conclusion that we were better off away from each other; away from the turmoil of it all.

What Bella didn't know was that I had been dating someone else for the last five weeks. It was nothing serious, but I found myself feeling numb and lonely; needing someone to occupy my time.

I met Tanya at the gym one night after work. She came up to me and asked if I could help her with a weight machine; which of course I did. We started talking and hit if off. She laughed at my jokes, flirted, and smiled; seeming genuinely interested in me. It was the first time I felt desired in such a long time. _Wow, this feels nice._ I knew it wasn't the same as being with my Bella. No one could make me feel the way she did, but Tanya was nice and she made me feel good for a change.

I needed to be with someone who wanted me for me; not someone who used me as a business associate. Though, I had made it very clear to her on several occasions that I wasn't looking for anything serious, Tanya didn't seem to care. I was really just in this little fling to try and fill a void. Was I in love with her? No. Was she a warm body to fill another need? Yes.

Part of me wondered what she thought was going to happen once I was divorced. The other part of me didn't care. Being well aware of the nasty divorce I was going through, she knew that there was no chance of another marriage for a while, if ever. Sometimes I felt guilty, like maybe I was just using her; but again she had been warned.

The fact that I had been living in my own apartment for the two months helped me justify this infidelity, so to speak. I knew it was over with Bella. I further justified my actions by the fact that we had already agreed on a divorce and the papers had already been filed.

We had agreed to meet at 10:00 am this morning at our local boutique coffee shop. It was decided on as neutral ground; leveling the playing field so to speak. She had asked me to meet at "our" house, but I didn't want to give her the home court advantage. I had suggested my apartment, but I guess she didn't want me to have the advantage either.

As the minutes passed while I waited for Bella, I grew more and more frustrated. This was so typical of her. The fact that Bella was late only proved that we were in fact making the right decision. _She didn't even care enough about me to be on time to sign our fucking divorce papers; damn her._ I sat there sipping my coffee and shaking my head, _figures. _I glanced down at my watch; noticing that it was already 10:30. I had been waiting for thirty minutes. _Fuck, she truly doesn't care about anyone but herself._

I looked out the window; trying to see if I could get a glimpse of her passing car.

_Nope! No Bella_.

It was early May in Dallas. The weather gets pretty nasty in the spring time; complete with horrible thunder storms and countless tornado warnings. Today was a typical spring day, and a spontaneous thunderstorm shadowed over the city. The thick cloud cover made it dark and the sky almost had a green tint to it. I tried to look through the downpour that was hitting with such torrential force that it ricocheted back off of whatever it hit.

Finally, I spotted her standing across the street, holding a flimsy umbrella and making a pointless attempt to shield herself from the sideways blowing wind. She was getting drenched despite her effort to stay dry.

Even though I was on the verge of hating her, to say she wasn't beautiful would be a lie. She had a perfect body, long dark hair that most women would kill to have, and the most lovely milk chocolate eyes you have ever seen. Even windblown and soaking wet, she was still the most beautiful woman I had ever laid my eyes on. I actually shook my head when I realized that after everything we had been through, my body still reacted to the sight of her. I had to remind myself that her beauty, as far as I was concerned, was overshadowed by her newly developed callused attitude and selfishness.

I couldn't help but chuckle as I saw her lift one of her wet feet to examine her high heeled stilettos. _Yeah that's right, they're wet. Maybe if you cared about everyone else the way you care about yourself, you wouldn't be ruining a pair of shoes that probably cost you three hundred dollars._

She put her foot back down and glanced across the street to the coffee shop and seemed to spot me instantly. When we made eye contact, I noticed something different about her. She smiled the most beautiful smile I have ever seen. It compared to the smile I saw grace her face on our wedding day as she approached me at the altar. Her eyes were sparkling with such love and her face was filled with happiness. She appeared softer and more tender than she had in a long time. _What the hell is she thinking about, did she run over a small child or something?_

I was instantly confused. _Well, this is a mind fuck!_ Was she happy to see me or was she feeling and looking this way because she was relieved to be putting _us_ behind her? I saw hope in her eyes; which kinda gave me hope. I saw love on that beautiful face, and I longed to caress her and hold her.

_Is this really happening? Am I misinterpreting her expressions?_ At that moment in time, I did not care. I couldn't help but smile. I gave her the most loving and affectionate grin I could. The sudden thought that we may be making a mistake crept into my mind. _Do I still love her?_

She pulled her eyes from mine and looked both ways to make sure there weren't any cars coming, as she prepared to make a run for it. I watched as she stepped out into the street right into a huge puddle of water; further ruining her high dollar shoes.

Her tight pencil skirt and heels made running more difficult than she had anticipated. I shook my head and sighed heavily as I watched her. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew through, nearly knocking her over. The powerful gust whistled through the crack in the door of the coffee shop and simultaneously turned her umbrella inside out. I stood briefly on gentlemanly instinct, thinking I should help her. For some sudden unknown reason, I felt the need to run out and protect her. In the end, my childish need to prove a point took precedence, and I sat back down in my chair.

She had to stop running half way through the intersection to try and get control of the situation. Meanwhile, one of her shoes had come off, and she hobbled back a few feet to pick it up. She was bent over grabbing her shoe, when I saw it out of the corner of my eye.

_Does that driver see her? _I furrowed my eyebrows trying to get a better look. Bella was standing directly in the car's path. I glanced between Bella and the car several times, trying to will it to stop. _Look up Bella! Look up! _My heart skipped several beats, and I stood quickly; spilling my coffee all over the floor. I winced when I realized she wasn't going to see it.

She was still standing in the middle of the street; losing the battle with her flimsy umbrella. I reached the door and pushed it open with excessive force. Now standing outside in the heavy rain, I hollered desperately, "Bella!" She looked up at me questioningly, completely oblivious to her surroundings.

It happened so fast; mere seconds. The car skid across the slick pavement and turned its wheels in an effort to avoid hitting her head on. _Oh my God! _I screamed her name one more time, "Bella!" My adrenaline kicked in, and my hands balled themselves into fists at my sides. I closed my eyes tightly, trying to block out what was about to happen. _No, no, no, no. _Then I heard it, the skidding of tires working hard to gain traction when there wasn't any. I was too late.

The sound of crushing metal mixed with Bella's screaming, forced me to open my eyes. I was barely able to comprehend what I had just witnessed. I blinked several times trying to change the scene before me. I felt terror and pain pass through me as I let the mayhem sink in. Devastation crept through me, and I ran for the woman I loved.

* * *

Okay, this story has a catch to it. What you have just read is obviously Edward's point of view. ALL of Second Chances is in his point of view.

But, we are writing a new story simultaneously called New Beginnings. It is Bella's point of view. The first chapter of her side of the story will post one week from today. See our blog for more information.

**Thanks for reading our story. Don't forget to leave us a review. Love it? Hate it? We want your honest opinions.**

**At this point, we do not have an update schedule. We will be posting as the chapters are finished.**

**Most of you probably already know that this story has a blog. The link is on my main site. Feel free to check that out, teasers, pictures and music will be updated as often as possible.**

**Hit this button….**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi guys, we're back. **

**Please see author's notes at the bottom. **

**Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight.**

* * *

_The sound of crushing metal mixed with Bella's screaming, forced me to open my eyes. I was barely able to comprehend what I had just witnessed. I blinked several times trying to change the scene before me. I felt terror and pain pass through me as I let the mayhem sink in. Devastation crept through me, and I ran for the woman I loved._

Horror flooded over me when my tear filled eyes settled on her limp body lying in the street next to the car that struck her. I hovered over her blinking repeatedly, as I shook my head trying to deny the scene before me. _Snap out of it Edward. _

I fell to my knees and surveyed her body, looking for any obvious broken bones. She looked badly banged up with scratches scattered over her beautiful face. I noticed one wound in particular just inside her hairline and above her forehead that was bleeding slightly. I wiped the blood from her forehead not wanting it to seep into her eyes. I hovered over her instinctively, trying to protect her. Her eyes were closed, and I couldn't tell if she was even breathing.

Desperate to see if she was still alive, I placed my fingers on the side of her neck to feel for her pulse. _God please, please._ I begged. I wasn't prepared to lose her this way and a feeling of devastation crept over me. She was non-responsive, but I was able to feel her pulse beating beneath my shaking fingers. _Thank God_. She was alive, but unconscious. An immediate sense of relief swept through my body.

I spoke her name hoping to wake her, "Bella, are you there? Can you hear me? Wake up Sweetie." I tried not to sound as panicked as I felt. If she could hear me, I did not want to scare her any further. I wasn't sure how much pain she would be in when she came to, but I knew she would be frightened and confused. I wanted her to find comfort and reassurance in my voice. _Stay strong for her Edward._ _She needs you now more than ever._

The rain still hadn't let up, and I tried to close the blazer to her little suit in a feeble attempt to shield her from the rain. My efforts were pointless as we were both soaked to the bone.

Finally, she slowly awoke and began to move. When she tried to sit up from her laying position, I moved toward her. Gently placing both of my hands on her shoulders I lowered her head onto my lap. "Bella, please don't move too much. What hurts? Are you okay?" I knew I was giving her the rapid fire list of questions, but I had to hear voice. I had to hear her words. Selfish, I know. But, I needed to know for my own piece of mind that she was alright.

Struggling to speak, she whispered my name, "Edward." As I watched her face for any and all indications, I saw what I thought might be a tear escaping from her eye. She looked so fragile and my heart broke for her. I would have given anything to trade places with her. _Hold it together, Dude!_

I looked around and noticed her overpriced shoes, the ones that had actually caused the accident, were no longer on her feet. I saw one lying next to her foot, and I didn't give a shit where the other one was. Her purse was still attached to her shoulder but a few of the contents had leaked out onto the ground.

"Oh my God!" I heard the driver of the car say as she got out. "Is she okay? I tried to stop. I promise I did. Oh my God! I can't believe this has happened!"

_No Shit woman. _I didn't even have the strength to get mad at the driver. I was too focused on making sure Bella was going to survive this. "I don't know, call 911."

"I already did." I heard the panicked voice of another witness. "They're on their way."

I could tell that she was going into shock. I held her delicate hand as she fell back into an unconscious state. My own shock set in, and I began to tremble while we waited for the ambulance to arrive. _Chill out! She is going to be fine._ My adrenaline still hadn't let up, and I started to chastise myself. _Jesus Edward, you should have gone to help her when you first felt the need to do so. You are such an asshole! This is entirely your fault._

Bella and I had our problems, but I would never have wished this on her. She had been my wife for the last four years, and I would always love her to some degree. I may not be _in love_ with her now, but I would always want what's best for her. She did not deserve this no matter how badly she had treated me.

Staring down at her, a knot formed in my throat. I caressed her bruised and slightly lacerated face to try to calm her. "Hang on Baby," I whispered. I shocked myself; I hadn't called her "Baby" in so long. It slipped out, but saying the simple little word seemed to calm me a little.

When the paramedics finally arrived they rushed to Bella and began to assess the situation. One medic asked the questions and the other examined her. Not knowing the extent of her injuries, the paramedics took every precaution. They gently slipped a brace around her neck and carefully moved her onto a stretcher.

It wasn't until they removed her from my hold that I noticed the excessive amount blood coming from the back of her head. I looked down at myself and noticed I had Bella's blood all over my jeans and white t-shirt. The blood was already in the process of rinsing off of my shirt because of the rain, so it looked more pink than red.

"Oh my God! Her head!" I shouted as I pointed hysterically to her injury; alerting the paramedics to my discovery. I guess my own shock prevented me from seeing the gruesome details of this horrible nightmare.

"Sir, please calm down. We see it." They quickly loaded Bella into the ambulance and motioned for me to get in. I climbed into the back and told him everything that I had seen.

They started working on Bella further evaluating her injuries, and we took off with sirens blaring. Bella was quiet and very still as we speed to the awaiting trauma team. I, on the other hand, started rambling and spitting out words faster than I could form my thoughts.

For some reason, I felt the need to tell these guys everything in detail. Not just about the accident, but about us and how we had been meeting to sign divorce papers. I even pulled them slightly out of my shirt pocket to show him the thick envelope.

I felt like I was confessing; trying to get myself out of the eternal burn for the things I had been thinking about her just minutes before the accident. It didn't matter if there was any truth to what I had been thinking. I could faintly hear myself speaking, but it didn't feel real; a very surreal out of body experience might describe it perfectly.

My breathing was erratic, and I noticed my hands flailing about as I spoke. Finally, I grabbed Bella's hand and let my head fall to rest gently against her chest. _I am so sorry for not being there to protect you._ I can't be sure, but I think I apologized out loud. I felt Bella squeeze my hand in her state of semi-consciousness, and it gave me the strength to sit up.

The paramedic put his hand on my shoulder, "It's okay man. Take a deep breath and try to relax. We don't need you passing out too. The best thing you can do for her now is remain calm."

I looked at the paramedic and took a deep breath to show him I was going to be okay. I took a few more deep breaths and closed my eyes, only to replay the entire accident again. Trying to remove the horrible images from my mind's eye, I shivered and released the breath I didn't realize I had been holding. I swore to myself that I would forever block those unsightly pictures from ever invading my head again. Finally, I opened my eyes when I felt like I had gained some control over my emotions.

Holding her hand gave me comfort, and I hoped on some level that it did the same for her. She had to know that I wouldn't abandon her now. I wanted her to want me here, despite our issues. The thought of her not needing me by her side, supporting her recovery, made my heart ache.

I held onto her hand until we pulled up to the emergency entrance, and I watched as the paramedic began removing something from her ear. "What are you doing?" I asked in a confused tone.

"I am removing her jewelry. We don't know exactly what's wrong with Bella and there will be x-rays and other types of imaging involved to determine the full extent of her injuries. She won't be able to wear any of her jewelry, and I want to make sure that it does not get lost in the shuffle."

I understood and scanned her body looking for more pieces. My eyes stopped roaming when they reached her left hand. _Is that? Is that her wedding ring? It couldn't be._ I reached across her body and lifted her left hand to survey her finger. _Sure enough. _She was wearing her ring….the ring I gave her.

My brain was already overwhelmed, and the platinum and diamonds wrapped around her finger only added to the confusion. _What the fuck? Why is she wearing this? _I thought for a moment, and I looked at my left hand. I didn't have my ring on. I had stopped wearing it the moment I moved out. _Was_ s_he was wearing it to give it back to you? _I took a sharp breath as the realization hit me. _That's what she was doing_. I had to fight the lump in my throat to keep it from consuming me. I wouldn't have taken it back. It was hers, and it would always be hers. _I will give this back to you when you wake up. You may not want it, but you don't have a choice._ I made the silent promise as I placed the ring along with her diamond stud earrings in my pocket.

They rushed her in through the entrance and told me to wait in the waiting room. I tried to protest, insisting on being with her, but was told that they would come get me when the situation was under control. I grabbed her purse from the stretcher and took it with me.

I pulled out her phone, still in a panic, and rushed to find the number for the first person I knew to call, Alice. Bella and Alice were best friends. Alice and I used to get along quite nicely, but when Bella and I started having problems, sides were chosen. I obviously lost, so we kept our distance.

I waited for her to answer hoping she would not be too disappointed to hear my voice on the other end of the line.

"Wahoo! So I guess you're a free woman now? We need to go out tonight and celebrate." I heard Alice holler excitedly into the phone. She was obviously referring to the divorce, but there would be no celebrating. At least not tonight anyway.

I sighed loudly into the mouth piece and decided not to let my temper get the better of me. _Focus Edward_. "Alice? It's Edward."

She must have heard the concern in my voice and was obviously wondering why I had called her from Bella's phone. "Edward? What's wrong? Why are you calling me from her phone?" She become more anxious as she continued questioning me.

"Alice, there's been an accident-," I didn't get to finish.

"What?" She screamed in panic, and I heard her rustling around in the background to holler for Jasper. "Where are you?" She asked me in a frenzied tone.

"I'm in the emergency room at Baylor hospital in downtown Dallas."

"We are on our way. What happened?" She gasped like she might have been on to something, "Edward you son of a bitch, did you hurt her? I swear to God I'll-,"

I was shocked and infuriated at the accusation and refused to let her finish that insane statement, "Have you lost your fucking mind? Of course I didn't hurt her!" Yes I had been a dick to Bella, and yes she had been a heinous bitch to me, but I had never even come close to touching her in that way.

"Don't talk to me like that Edward! I'm not Bella, and I won't put up with your shit the way she has! We will be there in fifteen minutes." She hung up on me. _Bitch._

I sat down to wait on Alice and Jasper and contemplated calling my brother. Emmet's wife, Rosalie, and Bella were still pretty close friends even through all of our problems. Emmet and Rose remained neutral throughout the whole ordeal and were always there as a shoulder to cry on when one was needed.

I knew I had to call them, but I also knew that Rose was going to flip out. Don't get me wrong I loved Rose, but there was enough drama in the air today without having the fire fueled by her hysterics.

I sighed loudly, and decided to call them anyway. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and waited for Emmet to answer, "Hey man, how'd it go?" He knew today was "D" day and had probably been anticipating my call.

"Umm, not so great."

Without giving me a chance to finish, he spoke, "Why what happened?" Of the two of us, Emmet was the calmer one; rarely raising his voice or letting his feathers get ruffled. This wasn't going to be good, because I knew I was about to ruffle them.

"Well, Bella has been in an accident."

"What?" He didn't holler, but he was shocked to say the least.

I proceeded to tell him what was going on, and the sound of Emmet's voice changed from one of shock to concern. I heard Rosalie start in from somewhere else in the room. "What? What happened Emmet?" _Oh shit, here we go. _

I could tell the phone had been ripped from Emmet's hands, "Edward?" She took a deep breath, "What the hell happened?" Then she laid into me, "Oh my God, did you hurt her?"

I scoffed, "What is it with you women thinking that I am even capable of laying a finger on Bella?" I shook my head in disbelief. "I have never even come close to doing such a thing, and I never would, Jesus!"

She calmed down after noticing the anger and disbelief in the tone of my voice. I told her everything, and by the time I was finished, she was insisting on coming down to the hospital.

"No, I don't think that's a good idea right now. You are just going to be sitting in the waiting room. I promise I will call you as soon as I hear something from Bella's doctors."

There were several reasons I didn't want them coming. First, Rosalie was extremely dramatic, and it would only make my anxiety and everyone else's that much worse. And second, they had a three year old son Sam, who would be running amuck. I loved my nephew, but this child was a holy terror; all boy.

"Edward, I can leave Sam with my neighbor. I won't bring him to the hospital."

_Well fuck!_

"Alright, but you have to stay calm." I instructed. I wasn't sure if I needed the 'calm' for my sake or for Bella's, but regardless, it was a needed emotion at this point.

"Okay. We will be there in about thirty minutes."

I took a deep breath when I finally hung up with her. I needed to get a hold of my parents, but they were on some fancy cruise in the Bahamas and getting in touch with them would be something of a challenge. They would be home in a few days, and I decided I was only going to call them if the situation turned serious.

I felt a cold shiver run up my spine. _Serious?_ I didn't even want to think about what that word entailed.

I tried hard not to think about it and was actually relieved when Alice and Jasper showed up. At least it would give me someone else to talk to, a distraction. I filled them in on the whole situation, and we sat in an awkward silence waiting for the doctor to return with news of Bella's condition.

I stood when I saw him walking toward the waiting room. "Edward Cullen?" He looked at me questioningly, and I nodded. "You're Bella's husband?"

"Not for much longer he's not." I heard Alice mumble under her breath. I shot her an angry "shut the fuck up" glare, before turning my attention back to the doctor.

"I am," I answered. "Is she okay? How is she?" I felt my adrenaline start to kick in again, and my heart began to pound.

He held his hand out for an introduction, "I'm Dr. Greene. I will be overseeing Bella's care throughout her stay."

I returned the gesture, wishing he would just get on with it. He must have noticed my urgency because he quickly proceeded to tell me, "Well, we still need to do a CT scan of her head. I also ordered an MRI to get a closer look at her knee. It's possible that she tore her ACL ligament."

Shocked into silence, I just stared at him and worried even further. _How bad was the head injury? What if she was going to be mentally handicapped from this? How am I going to live with myself, knowing that there might have been a way for me to stop it? _If I had just signed the fucking papers at our house, instead of insisting on a neutral location this wouldn't have happened.

"Mr. Cullen?" He asked gaining my attention again. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I just," I couldn't find the words. "I can't believe this." I was shaking my head in disbelief again.

At that moment I made an unspoken promise to myself and to Bella. I would fix this and make it right. _Our_ relationship may be a lost cause, but she deserved to live a happy healthy life from here on out. If I could give her one more gift, that would be it.

"How bad is the wound on her head? She was bleeding bad enough to cause all of this." I motioned to my blood stained shirt and jeans.

He held his fingers out making a space between his thumb and index finger showing about an inch in length. "The split was only about an inch, not a big deal. She has four staples in her head, and it should heal nicely."

This confused me a little, "If it was only an inch, how come it bled so much?" I crooked an eyebrow at him.

"Well the head and face will bleed profusely if compromised. Sometimes those kinds of wounds seem a lot worse than they actually are because of their location." He must have seen a small amount of relief come over me and felt the need to nip that in the bud. He took a deep breath and gave me a disclaimer, "I should warn you though, while the external wound has been taken care of, we still have to make sure there isn't any internal damage."

I exhaled deeply annoyed with his Doctor jargon. I gave a simple nod and continued questioning, "Is she still unconscious?" I asked trying to put the pieces together. Maybe if she had woken up, that would reveal how bad her head injury was.

"She did wake up very baffled, inquiring as to where she was." My heart ached at the thought of me not being there when she woke up to comfort her. She must have been in pain and been totally confused. I wished I could be back there with her to let her know that everything would be okay ……that we could get through this together. _It's probably better that you weren't anyway. She would have just kicked you out. She hates you remember?_

"She was in some pain, so we have given her something to make her a little more comfortable. The pain meds have a tendency to cause drowsiness, and she has dozed off again."

I took a deep breath. It wasn't until then that I noticed my need to take deep breaths. I kept feeling like the breathing would help me gain relief, or at least some facade of rightness, but it didn't. I looked over at Alice who wasn't holding it together very well. Jasper had her in his arms trying to console her.

"I will be back in a little while, and will give you more information as I get it. Okay?" He said with compassion.

"Alright," I nodded. "Thank you." I shook his hand again before he walked back down the hall to tend to the woman who was once the love of my life.

I sank back down into the uncomfortable chair; letting my fingers run through my unorganized hair. I thought back to the last time I had spoken to Bella on the phone and recalled discussing a place to meet to sign the papers. I winced in pain as I remembered my words, our words.

"_I am so ready to be rid of you." She said as the argument got heated._

"_You're ready? Why don't you come on over and sign them tonight. I'll even wait up for you!" I barked out._

"_Screw you Edward. I am so tired of your shit. You make me ill!"_

"_Goddamn, why do you have to be such a bitch all the time?"_

I felt the blood drain from my face, and my stomach churned. I had to run to the bathroom to avoid embarrassing myself and making a complete mess of the waiting room.

When I returned from my trip to the men's room, Emmet and Rosalie were sitting with Alice and Jasper.

"Did you get sick?" Alice asked when I stumbled back into the room. "Your face looks whiter than a ghost."

"Yeah, and I don't care to discuss it with you Alice." I turned my back and walked to the other side of the waiting area; wishing I had never called them. Jasper was truly a nice guy, but I had had all I could take from her. I was already on edge, and the last thing I needed was attitude right now.

That place where heartbreak actually causes physical pain grabbed hold of me, and I began to ache. I was having tremendous feelings of regret and remorse. _Why couldn't we have been more mature about the whole thing?_ There was no reason to treat each other the way we had or say such mean and awful things.

Emmet stood up and crossed the room; sitting close to me in a nearby chair. "Take it easy," he said as he squeezed my shoulder in an attempt to comfort me. "It's going to be okay. You'll see."

I appreciated Emmet's positive nature and continued support.

Rose and Alice sat huddled together rehashing the details of the day's events. Jasper looked at me with sympathetic eyes; like he knew what I was feeling. "Try not to think about it man. Neither of you would have said the things you've said if you had known this was going to happen. This is why it's dangerous to speak to one another the way you and Bella do. Even if you are angry, you have to control your words. Try to think about something else for a while." I nodded and attempted to take his advice.

He looked at Alice and kissed her forehead. I watched them together for a moment, and for the first time in my life, I was envious of someone else. I envied Jasper and what he had. He still had his love, and she was sitting right next to him.

I looked to Emmet, who had gone back to sit by Rosalie. Their hands were intertwined, and Rosalie looked like she was saying thank you to some unseen force for having Emmet safe at her side.

Bella, on the other hand, was nowhere near me. I had already lost her once, and today I nearly lost her in a whole new way. I thought I was going to get sick again at the thought of losing her eternally.

I sat back in my chair, waiting for the doctor to return and pushed my mind to happier memories.

_**Flashback**_

Bella took my breath away the very first time I met her. She had a natural beauty that drew me in immediately. Not only was I attracted to her physically, but once I got to know her, I was mesmerized by her intellect and charm. She had me wrapped around her finger from day one.

The first night I kissed her, she left me painfully hard. I wanted her more than I had ever wanted anyone in my entire life. That little minx even licked my bottom lip just before she got out of the car. _Fuuuuccckkk!_ I screamed in my head when she did it. I doubt she even knew what she had just done to me. Well, on second thought, maybe she did. I went home that night and got myself off to visions of her going down on me and straddling my hips. I came so hard in my own hand that my whole body tightened and shook. I thought I might actually turn inside out.

I was already in love with her, hook, line and sinker, by the time she finally let me inside of her. I wanted to make love to her from the very second I met her, but she made me wait for what seemed like an eternity. Like a teenage boy, there was no chance in hell I was going to be able to do anything but fuck her senseless once I finally got the opportunity. And I did. Several times that night in fact, and truth be told, she fucked me senseless too.

That next day I was miserable without her. Since she wasn't scheduled to work with me, I had to go the entire day without seeing her. Sitting at my desk, I found myself daydreaming of the prior evening's escapades. Concentrating on anything but Bella and our amazing night was nearly impossible. I decided to text her to let her know I was thinking about her.

_What are you doing?_

She didn't respond immediately, and I anxiously awaited her reply. Finally, twenty minutes later I received a text from her.

_Sorry, I was in the shower._

Thoughts of her naked and wet rushed through my mind and caused a slight tingle in my man region. I knew I had to see her; and the sooner the better. I couldn't seem to get enough of her. No woman had ever had this effect on me. She was different and it pained me to be away from her. I texted her back quickly, hoping she did not sense my desperation.

_Are you free tonight?_

Her response was quick.

_Maybe??? What did you have in mind?_

I thought for a moment and formed a plan.

_Meet me at the Zaza at 6:00? _

_Sure._

_Ok, see you then. _

The rest of the day drug on as the butterflies in my stomach kept me from really getting anything accomplished. I finally finished up and left my office around 5:00 to go meet Bella. Heavy traffic caused me to be a few minutes late.

I found Bella sitting with her beautiful legs crossed at a tall bar table. Without her noticing, I walked up behind her, put my hands on either side of her hips and pressed against her back to whisper into her ear, "I do believe you are the most beautiful woman in this bar. Do you mind if I join you for a drink while you wait for your boyfriend?"

"Actually, I do mind." She teased. Continuing with her flirty attitude, "You see, my "Boyfriend" is late, and I don't like to be kept waiting. I am afraid I wouldn't be very good company for you."

I took a seat on the stool next to her and swiveled her around so that she was facing me. "I think I'm going to have to disagree with you. I think I would enjoy waiting with you. His loss is my gain, I guess," I said as I stared into her velvety brown eyes.

"It appears that you need a refill, and I am going to sit with you until your extremely lucky boyfriend gets here and makes me leave." I motioned to the waitress to bring us two of what Bella was drinking.

I was thoroughly enjoying our little game and decide to take it one step farther. I swiveled her bar stool a little more and positioned Bella between my legs. I placed my hands on the sides of her crossed legs and began to slowly make my way up toward her core.

I heard her breath hitch and she leaned in closer to whisper, "Well, I suggest you get ready for a fight. My Boyfriend is extremely jealous and does not particularly care for other men buying me drinks and then running their hands up my thighs."

My hands came to rest on the curve of her hips, and I leaned in closer; almost touching her lips with mine. "I'm pretty sure I can take him, and I think you're worth fighting for."

Completely ignoring the waitress, who placed two new drinks on our table, we continued our little charade. Not moving from my forward leaning stance, I watch as Bella leaned back away from me and smugly took a sip from her drink.

With a cocky grin on her face, she leaned back in and placed one hand delicately along my jaw line. She then lightly ran her tongue across my lower lip while slightly breathing her warm breath across my face. This signature move instantly made me hard.

"God, Bella. You don't even know what that does to me."

"That's what you get for being late," she said as she leaned back and smirked.

I couldn't resist her any longer. I reached behind her neck and slowly pulled her toward me. "Meet me in room 1018 in five minutes," I said as I slid a room key across the table.

Her eyes lit up and a smile graced her face as she realized my plan for the evening. Without hesitation, she grabbed her purse, her drink, and the room key and headed toward the elevators in the hotel lobby.

I, on the other hand, was not so quick to leave my seat. I had to wait a few minutes for my erection to subside. In the meantime, I paid our tab and quickly finished my drink…..anything to take my mind off my rock hard dick.

When I arrived to our luxury suite, I walked in to find Bella waiting for me on the balcony staring at our scenic view. All of my thoughts of playing it cool were instantly thrown out the window. She was wearing a sleek skirt and heels that made her legs look amazing. Her low cut, tight fitting shirt showed off her curves and just enough cleavage to draw my eyes to her perfectly shaped breasts. I would never grow tired of her perfection.

"Hi," I said as I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her; nestling my lips into the crook of her sweet smelling neck. I began placing soft wet kisses along her jawline and on down to her collarbone. "I really missed you today." I pulled her closer to me so she could feel the affect she was having on me.

"Hi," she said back and spun around; crashing her lips to mine. Her lips moved into a smile against mine, "Missed me, huh?" She questioned as she pulled away from the kiss.

"You will never know how much." I slid my hands down to cup her ass, and through her skirt I noticed that she was not wearing any panties. _OH MY GOD!_

She had to have done it on purpose. No woman accidentally forgets her panties.

I couldn't take it any longer.

"Come with me." I grabbed her hand and lead her through the open door. Once inside, I pressed her up against the interior wall and dropped to my knees. Our eyes locked and my hands started at the backs of her knees and raised her skirt as I worked my way up. I saw her eyes close and her head fall back against the wall. My mouth went to work on her, teasing and tasting.

Everything about her was different. The fact that my need to please her surpassed every selfish desire of my own, nearly blew my mind. She pressed herself further into my face, and I felt myself smile against her. Within minutes, she exploded into a volcanic eruption and with weak legs, she fell into my arms.

After catching her breath, she stood up. "Where are you going?" I asked as I stood up with her.

Silently, she reached for my hand and guided me to the bed where she pushed me back into a sitting position. She climbed on, straddled my lap, and began grinding herself into me. Bella's heat radiated through the material of my slacks. I ran my hands up and down her back, memorizing every curve of her body.

The romantic ambience set the mood, and I was overcome with emotion. Without a second thought, I whispered the words, "Bella, I love you," while we thrust to the beat of our own magical tune. I couldn't help but tell her how I was feeling, and it didn't matter if she loved me back or was ready to hear it.

She obviously liked what she heard, because my words sent her soaring over the edge. I was so consumed by her, and her sounds threw me into orbit launching my own orgasm. We tenderly kissed and held each other tightly while we waited for our hearts to return to a normal pace.

"Guess what?" She asked as she peppered sweet kisses on my jaw and neck. She didn't miss a single spot. I loved that.

I turned my head to kiss her plump lips. "What?" I asked curiously.

With a serious look upon her face, her eyes seared into mine, "I love you too." The thrill of hearing her say those three little words was like sensory overload.

Women had said that to me before, but it never felt right until Bella said it. I loved her. I. Loved. Her. I could see my future with her and only her.

I knew right then and there that I had to make her mine forever.

_Hmmmm…..Forever._ At least that was my hope at the time.

_**End Flashback**_

I didn't even have time to let the pain that this memory evoked set in before the sound of Alice's annoying voice brought me back from my…

"What the hell are you thinking about over there douche bag?" I heard Alice ask with a disgusted look on her face.

I must have been smiling, but my demeanor quickly changed due to her tone and bitch ass attitude.

"What business is it of yours?" I asked curtly and raised my eyebrow.

"I just don't know what kind of sick son of a bitch would let a smile like that spread across his face while his almost ex-wife could be dying in the next room."

Her words shot straight through to my heart like cupid with his little fucking arrow. She had no clue what I had been thinking about.

"I suggest you clear your head Edward. You have other things to worry about right now." She stared daggers at me, and I shot them right back, unwilling to give her the upper edge.

"You know what Alice? You don't know what the fuck you are talking about. I had to think of something happier to keep my mind from exploding." I took a deep calming breath. "And if you must know, I was thinking about Bella." I lifted my lips into a kind of half smile trying to let her know that what I had been thinking about had been one of our better memories.

I stood quickly and shoved my hands into my pockets. "And Bella is not dying. She's going to be just fine."

I stormed off and faintly heard Jasper scolding Alice. "Alice, you need to be more sensitive. Can't you see he's in pain? He would have never wished this on Bella."

Rosalie chimed in, "Alice, try to take it easy on him. The accident wasn't his fault, and you need to remember that there are two sides to every story." They were no longer talking about the accident, and I truly appreciated Rose and her unbiased position.

At one time, the six of us had been inseparable, going to dinners, games, parties and on vacations together. We had insurmountable amounts of fun and truly enjoyed being together. I think our impending divorce was hurting everyone, not just Bella and I.

I continued walking hoping to escape Alice and her harsh judgment. I reflected back from a moment ago when I told Alice that Bella would be "just fine" and prayed for truth in my statement. I didn't know what I would do if that wasn't the case.

I heard footsteps behind me and turned to see who was hesitantly approaching. "Edward, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so harsh. I guess I just hadn't thought about how all of this would make you feel. I just assumed you would be unaffected." Alice shook her head, and leaned in to hug me.

I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and held on tight. I needed this right now. I needed the support. I thought that maybe now would be a good time to ask Alice about the smile that had graced Bella's face just before the accident. Maybe she knew the true meaning behind it.

I pulled away and looked at her. "Alice, did Bella say anything to you about," I paused, "about maybe wanting to reconcile?"

Alice shook her head. "Umm, no," she said with finality and almost a little bit of pity. She looked at me questioningly. "Why?" I watched her face become confused….the same emotion that I had been feeling since I saw Bella smile at me.

I sighed, "When she was standing across the street a minute or so before the accident, she smiled at me."

"And?"

"And, I haven't seen her smile like that in ages, especially at me. It made me think that maybe she had changed her mind....that maybe she wanted to reconcile." _Could we work this out?_

Her confusion shifted to understanding, and she smiled compassionately. "Edward," she paused, "how do you know she was smiling at you? After all, you were in the coffee shop, and she was standing across the street in the rain. Maybe you misread her expression or even possibly imagined it."

I thought back to the moment I saw her smile. _Did I imagine it? Am I going crazy? _ No. She clearly smiled at me. Our eyes met. I know she was looking _for_ me….._found_ me…..and _then_ smiled without hesitation. "No Alice, I didn't imagine it. I swear it happened."

"Well Edward, I hate to tell you this, but she was probably smiling because," she stopped and waited for me to piece it together.

I knew what she was saying, and it made me physically ache. "Because, she's glad it's over?"

Alice didn't say anything but simply nodded. I knew then that this whole thing had pained Alice. I could see it in her eyes. Suddenly, I remembered the ring and reached into my pocket like it was my last hope.

"Well if she's so glad it's over, then why did she wear this on her left hand today?"

I held Bella's wedding ring up between my thumb and index finger showing her the evidence that backed up my theory.

Alice took it from me and studied it. "I'd forgotten how beautiful this ring is," she commented as she continued to stare at it.

"Get to the point Alice," I snapped at her. "Why would Bella be wearing that," I pointed at it, "on the day we were supposed to sign our divorce papers?"

"Well, she told me last week that she was planning on giving it back to you. She said she did not feel good about keeping it, since you gave it to her as a gift for marring you. She just didn't feel like she had a right to it anymore; especially after the papers were signed."

Alice picked up my right hand and placed the ring in my palm; closing my fingers around it.

"Here, now you have it back." I could feel the precious metal in my hand, but I didn't want it back. The sadness forced my head down, and I sighed deeply knowing she was probably right.

I felt Alice step closer, "Edward, are you going to be okay?"

My head popped up and rage suddenly filled my body. "Well, I have news for you both. I am not keeping this ring. I gave it to Bella on our wedding day as a gift. It's hers!" I gestured to myself and my voice became shaky as I spoke. I all but whispered as I stated the last sentence of my case, "Our marriage wasn't all bad Alice. Most of it was wonderful…..so good in fact that I won't ever be able to forget it."

She hugged me again. "I know Edward."

Taking a step back, I ran my fingers through my hair feeling utterly baffled, confused and totally torn. I hated the way I was feeling. All I knew was that I did not feel this way when I woke up this morning or even while I sat at the coffee shop waiting for Bella to arrive.

Sadly, Alice had helped to reaffirm the fact that Bella still wanted the divorce. My mind felt like it was moving in a thousand different directions at once. I was tormented by a mixture of emotions, confusion, guilt, and most of all heartbreak. I needed some time to think, to try and make sense of it all.

"Edward?" She questioned again. I looked into Alice's eyes but didn't speak. "Edward, don't do this to yourself. Just let it be what it is."

_That's good advice Edward. Just get Bella well and move on like the two of you had originally planned. _

"Alice, I think I need to be alone for a little while. If the Doctor comes out, will you come find me?"

"Sure," she said simply, and I turned to walk off.

"Edward?" I stopped and looked back at her. "I really am sorry.

"Thanks." I smiled half heartedly and continued walking. I knew she wasn't just apologizing for being a bitch in the waiting room. She truly was sorry that both of our hearts, mine and Bella's, had been broken.

The doctor spotted me a few minutes later. "Mr. Cullen," he said. I knew he had news for me, and I felt like my heart might leap into my throat as he approached.

"Dr. Greene," I acknowledged. "How is she?"

He gave a gentile understanding smile, "Mr. Cullen, you can relax a little bit." I felt a small amount of relief wash over me. "Her CT scan came back normal, but she does have a concussion. The good news is that there is no swelling to her brain."

My hand came up to rest over my heart, "Oh, thank God."

_Okay, concussion, _I could deal with this.

"The most serious of her injuries is her knee. She tore the ACL in her left knee severely. I would like to refer her to a surgeon and have it replaced as soon as possible"

He continued, "It's a common surgery that usually takes about an hour. What the surgeon will likely do, is take an autograft from the hamstring of her right leg and use it to replace the ACL in her left knee." I nodded showing that I was listening.

"What's an autograft?" I asked with confusion swirling in my head. I felt bombarded with medical jargon and was quickly growing tired of hearing it.

He continued again, knowing I was becoming agitated, "It's where we take tissue from the patient and use it to function somewhere else in the body."

"Have you discussed all this with Bella? When do you want to do the surgery, and how long will it take her to recover?" I asked without taking a breath.

"We would like to move forward as soon as possible. And yes, we have discussed it with Bella. She is awake now and is in some pain. I think she is just ready to get it over with. We are making every effort to keep her as comfortable as possible. She will need physical therapy, but she should be good as new in four to six weeks."

Dr. Greene assured me that the surgery was necessary and scheduled time for me to meet the surgeon that would be performing the operation.

I thanked him before walking back toward the waiting room to deliver the news to everyone.

"Hey," I said with a feeling of defeat.

Alice jumped up from her seat, "Did you talk to the doctor?"

I nodded and told them everything the doctor had just told me. Alice and Rosalie both cried in relief when they found out that Bella's injuries had been minor compared to what they could have been.

I waited impatiently for an hour before the surgeon finally came out to speak to me. He filled me in on a few more details and asked if I had any questions. "Can I see her before she goes into surgery?"

"Absolutely; but I should warn you that the anesthesiologist has already administered a cocktail of meds into her IV to help relax her. She is a bit loopy."

I chucked at the thought of Bella being loopy and followed him to her room. I felt my phone buzz in my pocket again for about the one hundredth time today. Ughhhhh, I thought and grabbed it just before I entered her room. It was a text message from Tanya.

_Where the hell are you?_

Another text quickly followed.

_Call me back. NOW!_

_Oh Jesus, not now._ I didn't have the strength to deal with her, nor did I want to right now. I ignored the text and turned my phone off before letting it slide back into my pocket.

I knew I was not exactly being fair to Tanya, but Bella deserved every bit of my attention and she was going to get it. Relief finally washed over me when I saw her lying in the bed. She looked sleepy, but comfortable.

Bella reached for me instantly and a slight smile spread across her face. "Edward." She didn't seem sad or in any pain at the moment. My heart skipped several beats because of her tone of voice. _Was she happy to see me or was it just the drugs?_ I couldn't be sure.

I walked to her, and took the hand that was reached out to me, "Hey, Bella." I kissed her fingers and sat down on the edge of the bed, "How are you feeling?" A huge part of me wanted to wrap my arms around her and make this all go away.

"Grreeeat!" She said as she blinked her eyes several times very slowly.

I shook my head and laughed, "I'm so sorry Bells, I-," I didn't know exactly what to say and really didn't want to upset her or raise her blood pressure right before surgery. So, I simply lifted her hand to my mouth and kissed it again.

She shook her head slowly and smiled at me, "Edwarddd, please don't apologize. Thiss isn't your fault. Don't beat youursself up." Her words were sweet and slightly slurred. Under normal circumstances, she would have kicked me out, but the pain meds had obviously not only numbed her body, but her hatred for me as well. I was grateful for her compassion and took comfort in her telling me that she did not blame me for the accident.

She stared at me for several moments, and I watched as her eyes grew heavy. I stroked her hand letting her know that it was okay for her to slip under if she needed to.

"Edward," she whispered while losing the battle with her eyelids.

"What Baby?"

"I have to tell you something,"

Her breathing slowed and her eyes fell completely shut. "What Bella?" I pleaded as I shook her hand gently trying to wake her. The tone in her voice said it was important, but I couldn't be sure. It could have just been the affect that the 'cocktail' was having on her.

Right about that time, the surgeon walked in. "Mr. Cullen, we are ready for her now."

"Wait. She was about to tell me something." I was panicked. I had no clue what she was about to say, but I had to know. "Bella," I prodded once more.

Without the answer I was yearning for, the nurses wheeled her out of the room.

* * *

**Okay, we realize that Bella probably wouldn't be having surgery just after an accident like this, but aren't you ready for us to get them out of the hospital?**

**Umm, yeah! That's what we thought.**

*******Also, posting Bella's chapters in her side of the story, ****New Beginnings**** exactly one week later has proved to be something of a challenge. We will still be posting her chapters but we can't guarantee that hers will come one week later. We will do our best to get it out as quickly as possible. I can tell you that chapter 2 of New Beginnings will not be posting exactly one week later this time due to the holiday.***** **

**We wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!**

**Don't forget to leave us a review. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, here's the deal.**

**This story is no longer being co-authored. I apologize for any confusion but the remainder of this story will be posted on a weekly basis under my own pen name... **

**waitingfornewmoon**

**You can find it there along with the link to the blog. Please feel free to PM me with any questions.**

**Again, I am sorry for any confusion, and as always I appreciate your support.**

**Thanks,**

**Courtney**


End file.
